Tension device.



A. RIEFFEL.

TENSION DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB 10 1911.

1,014,256. Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

6 1% jQ i3 *QQJQQQQQ 11 \Li X k INVENTOR WITNESSES BY I v I I v r ATTORNEY UN FEED TATE FATEW @FFKQEE.

AUGUST RIEFFEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, FENNSYLYANIA.

TENSION DEVICE.

Application filed February 10, 1911. Serial No. 607,822.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, AUGUST RinrrnL, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tension devices for textile machines and more particularly for knitting machines, and the object of my invention is to furnish a device which will at all times keep the yarn at the same tension, which will not scrape, strand, or cut the yarn, which will permit the free passage of knots, and which will be very easy to thread.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views: Figure 1, is a top plan view of my improved tension device: Fig. 2, a side elevation of the device; Fig. 3, a section of Fig. 1 on line A-A; Fig. l, a section of Fig. 3 on line B-B.

1 is the frame of my tension device which is adapted to be attached to the frame of the knitting or other machine which latter is not shown.

2 is a box, carried by frame 1, which is furnished with a longitudinal groove 3 which is adapted to carry one or more balls 4.

5 is a cover for the top of box 2 the purpose of which is to keep the balls 4 in place. At its ends the cover 5 is bent down, as shown in Fig. 3, to prevent the balls rolling out of the groove 3. One side of the cover 5 is bent down and secured to one side of box 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and upon the opposite side a space 6 is left between the cover and the top of the box to facilitate threading.

7 is an arm, preferably of a flexible spring like structure, the inner or lower end of which is spring. supported at 8 and which normally tends to assume the upright position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At its outer end the arm 7 is furnished with an eye 9 through which the thread passes.

10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 are eyes in, or carried.

by, frame 1 through which the thread passes from the spool or bobbin to the machine. The thread passes from the spool or bobbin first through eyes 10 and 11, then between the balls at and the bottom of the groove 3 in. box 2 to eye 12, thence to eye 9 at the outer end of arm 7, thence through eyes 13 and let to the machine.

It will be understood that the arrangement and location of the several eyes may be varied to suit different machines or purposes.

The thread passing through box 2 lies along the bottom of the groove 3 and the balls 4 lie upon the top of the thread and by their weight cause the tension upon that part of the thread that lies between the arm 7 and the spool or bobbin and this ten- Sp ecification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 9, I

sion can be varied by increasing or decreasing the number of balls in the box.

Between the box 2 and the machine the tension is regulated by the spring arm 7. As shown in Fig. 3 the arm 7 is in the position that it assumes when the machine is drawing thread from the spool or bobbin; in Fig. 2 the extreme lifted position of the arm is shown, this position, or one between it and that shown in Fig; 3, being that taken When a straight knitting machine reverses, or when, from any other cause, the regular strain upon the thread is relieved.

The spring arm 7 maintains an even tension upon the thread between the box 2 and the machine and as the weight of the balls 4 upon the thread cause suflicient tension upon the thread to prevent it being drawn past them until the outer end of arm 7 is drawn down to, or nearly to, the position shown in Fig. 3, there is no possibility of thread being drawn off the spool or bobbin prematurely or when it is not being used in the machine.

My tension device is threaded by passing the thread through the eyes in the usual manner and by moving it sidewise into-slot 6 when a little pressure upon its ends moves it down past the balls & to the bottom of groove 8.

In the Whole device there are no parts which will prevent the free passage of knots, nor are there any corners or places which Will chafe or strand the finest thread.

Having thus described my invention I claim as .new and desire to secure by Letters Patentr t v In a tension device, in combination, a

-.5 grooved box, one or. more balls carried in b said oove, and an L shaped cover one of the sides of which is adapted to be secured to one'side of said box and theother of" which covers, without touching, the top of I i said box, the ends of the latter part of said 0 coyertbeing bent downwardly substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

. AUGUST RIEFFEL. Witnesses: GREGORYMARCHL,

- HOWARD A. DARLING. 

